Home Grown Chef: Soppressata Pizza

Anything the humble pig has to offer— bacon, pancetta, salami, soppressata, chorizo, linguiça—stands between me and my occasional good intentions to lead a more herbivore lifestyle.

One recent day, I came home with a soppressata salami: creamy and garlicky, with a kick of black pepper. Rather than gnaw on it right out of the brown paper wrap, I decided to slice it, and lay it on top of caramelized onions, grated gruyère cheese, and pizza dough. As soon as it was out of the oven, I sprinkled it with basil. Family members walked by and snatched pieces before I could even say, “Dinner’s ready.”

I used pre-made pizza dough I found in the bakery section of my grocery store. You could also make your own dough or buy one of those wheels of pizza crust found hanging on the end of the grocery aisles, or even pocketless pita bread. In any case, it’s really all about the toppings.

Soppressata and Caramelized Onion Pizza with Basil

Serves: 4 | Prep time: 30 minutes | Cook time: 12 minutes

Ingredients:

1 16 ounce package premade pizza dough

1 large, sweet onion, thinly sliced (approx. 2 cups)

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

A pinch of salt and pepper

¾ cup thinly sliced soppressata salami, casing removed

1 ½ cups grated, aged gruyère cheese

2-3 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil

Directions:

Adjust rack to middle position, and preheat oven to 450˚F. If using a pizza stone, preheat it as well. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions, turn heat to low and cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown—about 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile, roll out your pizza dough to about a 14-inch circle or a rectangle (depending on the size and shape of the pan or stone you are using). If using a cookie sheet, brush a little olive oil on the surface before putting your dough on it. Brush your pizza dough with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Sprinkle with cheese. Arrange onions evenly over the cheese. Top with soppressata slices. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until cheese is bubbling and crust is lightly browned. Once out of the oven, sprinkle with basil, slice and enjoy.